So, last night I get the final invoice from the caterer. I was expecting to come out a little “ahead,” as we had removed the Vienesse Table to replace it with the cost of an extra hour of time ($395 for Vienesse Table, vs $300.00 for the extra hour of their time,) besides tax and gratuities. I was expecting to owe around $600 in tax and grats. Imagine my surprise when I opened the invoice and I owed $1383… (the $600 in taxes and grats included, which is totally fine…) TWO days before the wedding.

To say I went off the handle is an understatement. My mother, who is a paralegal, is 3-way calling the caterer to sort this out this afternoon. I believe she is quoting us for soda, which we asked her not to ($285.00 for 63 people) because we’re having Signature Drinks, and she’s trying to charge us $126.00 for a Sparkling Apple Cider toast, which I am also cutting…I feel nearly out of spite. People can toast with their mocktails and water, coffee, tea. It’s a hors d’ouvre and dessert/cocktail reception, and we have kids attending. Who the hell cares if they have something “special” to toast with? I’m so mad, I’m like a wet hen right now.

I may be reading this wrong, but why would it be on her to tell you that you are over budget? Again I could totally be misreading this. My venue has no idea what my budget even is and I would expect a business to keep up with each bride’s budget and warn they have gone over.

Oh no! That’s terrible. I think the best way to handle the situation is to explain to her how you feel but calmly. And then, if she isn’t willing to compromise, then blow off some steam and tell her exactly how you feel. I hope it all works out. 🙂

OMG that is not cool. I hope you get it sorted out soon and it comes out in your favor. I hate when people try to overcharge or charged for extra stuff no on asked for. Sneaky, sneaky. Too bad it’s so close to your wedding or I would suggest getting someone new.

@mixtapehearts: Sorry for the confusion. When we sat down with the wedding coordinator, who is part of the duo catering team, we had told her our budget for hors d’ouvres and drinks was $1500, and that’s what we agreed upon. I understand pricing of food fluctuates and extra costs pop up, and that taxes and gratuities and any extra costs were due 2 days prior to the wedding, according to our contract. But if you know your contract with the brides state that their budget is $1500 and that’s what was agreed upon to pay prior to the final expenses (tax and grats,) and the final amount is $700.00 over what was agreed upon? I gave her my final count last week (63,) which is 37 people less than we were originally quoted for and paid for. If anything, we should have come out “ahead” going into the taxes and grats, In My Humble Opinion.

If you know your contracted price isn’t going to cover all the food and drink costs besides taxes and grats, you should contact the contract owner way more than 2 days in advance. Especially for a sum as large as $700 over.

@bridalprincess: I would totally have gotten someone new after the whole prior fiasco with the $300/per hour for the extra hours past 3 hours of catering time, but our $1500.00 payments were non refundable and this caterer is the only approved to work with our ceremony/reception site.

Update: The vendor and I worked it out, by cutting my sparkling cider toast and soda, which the soda I didn’t even order in the first place. I’m still $250 over budget, but that’s a lot easier to swallow.